The plains at night were quiet. Well, if you considered quiet to be the constant of insects chirping, hyenas cackling in the distance and cubs waking, yelling for food, then yes; the African plains were as still and as quiet as could be.
Ukwazi, a tan lioness, laid quietly beside her bright red sister. Nearby their darker brother also slept. Soon enough they would be called to hunt but that time was not now. No, now was a time for silent reflection or at least that's what Ukwazi's mind decided these early morning hours would be good for. A cream-tipped paw rose to let the necklace of teeth lay atop. Each toe flexed, letting the bone run over them. One...two...three...there were seven. Seven different teeth that were bordered by small blue beads on a leather necklace her grandmother had gifted her.
Every one of those teeth had a story all their own.
Her forearm shifting managed to stir her sister though.
"Ukwaaaazi..." Came the familiar groan from her sister's mouth. "What are you even doing up so early? It's not time to hunt yet. Go back to sleep..." It wasn't so much a plea as it was telling herself to go back to sleep. Without so much as another word, Ukushisa rolled over, her back against Ukwazi's side. A yawn and she was back asleep.
A faint smile crept onto her face as she sister woke simply to complain and then fell back asleep just as easily as she had woken. Her bowed head rose. Around her were the bodies of other lionesses, cub and in the distance she thought she could make out the silhouettes of the Inselele or possibly Gakere. It was a comforting thought to know they were there regardless.
Her attention fell back to the teeth that sat around her neck. One was slightly chipped and she knew why all too well. It was cracked because a protective mother elephant had chosen to charge her. By her, she meant the lioness it had belonged to. No one had seen the angry cow until she was charging through the brush. The owner of the tooth had been a member of Ukwazi's hunting party, they all had and somehow she thought it right to remember them after their death by carrying part of them with her. Reminders. That's what they were. Reminders to keep a better eye out, to watch more carefully, to do something that she hadn't done before.
Even though none of the deaths had been preventable as far as she and her pride-sisters knew, there was still a sort of guilt that hung heavy around her from time to time. Perhaps it was her grandmother leaving that stirred these emotions again. She didn't know, but she didn't like it.
Pale blue eyes blinked open, her body rolling as she put herself up into a laying position on her belly instead of on her side. The run was beginning to truly rise and the part of the pride that had been asleep would be stirring soon as well, if they weren't already. Ukushisa's passing glances stopped on her sister who was once again touching the teeth that surrounded her neck. The sleepiness left her eyes quickly as she yawned, something she couldn't help.
"Are you thinking about that stuff again?" She asked.
There was no response.
"Oh come on, you know none of that was your fault. You should let those ghosts lie." She encouraged, bumping her head against the Ukwazi's chubby cheeks. "Come on, I'm sure it's our sure to hunt this morning." The cubs would need their meal for that half of the day, either solid or milk and regardless it was their duty to help feed those mouths or the mothers who did.
"I know, but..."
"Nope, no buts. Come on." The comforting rub from before had turned into a more forceful nudging as the top of her head pushed against the tan lioness' shoulder.
"H-hey! Stop that." Ukwazi blurted out as she scrambled onto her paws. And this is what she had woken to for their entire life. Even as cubs her fiery sister had been pushy, almost needy, but she meant well. "Fine, fine, come on then."
"Good." Ukushisa's head was held high, almost proud that she had gotten her sister up so easily this morning. Usually it was harder, especially when she was all mopey and distant. "So, do you know what herds are moving through? What can we even hunt?"
Rolling her eyes, the older sibling moved away from the other bodies, into an open area. Her body stretched to her full length as she walked. "You really don't pay much attention to the world around you, do you?" Really, was it so hard to track down a Cinga and ask about local herd movement? Or even just go stalking herself?
"Hey now. You're definitely grumpy this morning." The red sister retorted, her face possessing a firm frown. "I'm brighter than you. I have a harder time sneaking up anything." That much was certainly true. Their play fights are cubs were usually ones that had only been decided on when Ukushisa started them, usually when her older sister was distracted.
Laughter filled the air as Ukwazi continued on, not even bothering to turn back around or actually respond with something more. She knew her sister spoke the truth, but even the red pelt she sported came in handy when hunting just as their home was starting to turn a similar color to the fur on her body. Her sister just didn't take advantage of it or simply didn't know how to. Maybe the Firekin could teach her. They were red like her. Maybe a trip to the outpost wouldn't be such a bad idea. They were so close to it anyways, seeing one of the red giants wasn't exactly hard now. Maybe that afternoon. Maybe they'd take a small trip together and go see. She knew they offered help with fighting, but maybe hunting lessons were also something that could be done. Had Ukushisa been born with a pelt like her or their brother, hunting would have been so much easier. But no, she was born with a burnt pelt, probably why she was named 'to burn'.
Quietly though, she walked away, away from her sister.
"Hey!" Ukushisa called out, "Wait for me!" Quickly she jogged after her. Hopefully they were heading off to do some hunting instead of arguing.
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